I have fibromyalgia. My rheumatologist and orthopedic surgeon both believe a spinal surgery to correct severe scoliosis when I was 15 may have brought it on. They believe when the rod was placed on my spine, and the chips were taken off of my hip bone (a hip I now have a bone spur on, something most 65 year olds have and I'm only 36), they feel it changed the chemical make up of my body helping to bring on the firbomyalgia.

Also being a childhood abuse survivor, there are some studies that show that victims of childhood abuse have too much cortisol in their brain from the stress of the abuse and the build up of that cortisol can bring on the fibromyalgia later in life. Very interesting...

I have fibromyalgia. My rheumatologist and orthopedic surgeon both believe a spinal surgery to correct severe scoliosis when I was 15 may have brought it on. They believe when the rod was placed on my spine, and the chips were taken off of my hip bone (a hip I now have a bone spur on, something most 65 year olds have and I'm only 36), they feel it changed the chemical make up of my body helping to bring on the firbomyalgia.

Also being a childhood abuse survivor, there are some studies that show that victims of childhood abuse have too much cortisol in their brain from the stress of the abuse and the build up of that cortisol can bring on the fibromyalgia later in life. Very interesting stuff. Not necessarily proven yet, but more studies need to be done. They have found though that of fibro patients, a high percentage have some form of abuse in their past. I certainly believe a lot more research needs to be done in this area of illness regardless.

I know for 10 years I was told, I was just bored and needs something to "occupy" my time. Yeah, that's why I went to the doctors. One doctor's exact words were, "Since my husband was on submarines and I missed him so much, I created the pain to get his attention." No lie. I told him if I created the pain then I was creating this doctor visit and good luck getting it paid and walked right out. Come to find out later, the rod shifted and I grew creating pain in my spine and without pain pills and I now have osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. The osteoarthritis at the time was just in my spine and hip, but has now spread to all my bones. According to a bone scan, my bones are twice my age and I have to tread extremely carefully when walking that I don't fall or they WILL break. Some doctors still do not believe in fibro and will write this off.

If they do, do what I did, and KEEP LOOKING!! I almost didn't and it almost cost me my sanity.